When poet Robert Frost wrote the line, “good fences make good neighbors,” he surely didn’t have Johanna Hertel in mind.

During our recent stormy weather, the Temecula woman, 68, was making herself tea when she looked up and discovered she had an open view to the street. A 69-foot section of her six-foot-high fence along East Loma Linda Road had collapsed.

Three days later, a young man knocked on her door. He introduced himself as Brandon Jantz, coach of a new semiprofessional soccer team, the Temecula FC. He lived nearby, had noticed her fence had blown down and asked if his players could rebuild it for her. Jantz explained he looks for projects that will help the community while building player character and teamwork.

“It was like an angel dropped out of the sky. I was thrilled,” said Hertel, who lives on a tight, fixed income. She had received bids for labor that ranged from $1,600 to $1,900.

So, she bought the materials, and last Saturday 18 athletes appeared at her house, poured cement, planted metal posts and erected the fence. The players have cleaned up trash for the city, volunteered in schools and engineered “cash mob” events (like flash mobs) to help attract customers to struggling mom and pop businesses. Currently, they’re planning a benefit for a girl, 7, with a rare heart ailment.

“Being a volunteer is very big with me,” said Jantz. “I believe in giving to the community, not just taking from it.” His team is gaining fans in the process. Hertel, for one, vows to attend their next soccer game.